Mixing and agitating machine



June 24,1930. 0. F. BALL MIXING AND AGITATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1929 IN V EN j'OR. CharZeJ/ZBaZL I A TTORNgYfl Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1. BALL, I IIIWAUIEI, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB '10 CHAIN BELT or nmwauxan' -wrsconsm, A. ooaroaa'rron or Wisconsin 7 MIXING m Aerrarme nacnnm' Application filed February a, 1929. Serial No. 330,778. L

The present invention relates to machines for mixing concrete and other substances;

and consists of'the improvements to be hereinafter pointed out.

' In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevationof a truck and concrete mixer mounted thereon embodying the present invention.

Flg. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line II, II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a broken detail view, enlarged,

' representin in lan one of the adjustable nnxing bla es 0 the machine, and

Fi 4 is a sectional view on the line IV V of Fig. 3.

Refer to the drawings 2 indicates a motor true which, so far'as the present invention is concerned, may be of any usual or preferred character. Upon the chassis of this truck is supported a rotatable cylindrical tank 3, adapted to contain concrete. It is now quite common practice in the making of concrete for construction purposesto employ a central plant where the lngredients of the concrete are assembled and stored in large quantities and are mixed in machines of large capacit and-from which the-mixed concrete is dehvered and distributed to the various used.

During the ing plant to the places of use the concrete is agitated or mixed to maintain 1t in proper condition for use and prevent its setjobs where it is who ting or becoming hard during the time of' transit. It is in connection with such a transit mixer that the resent invention is represented, although t e invention is not limited to use in connection with machines of this character.

The rotatable tank 3 is represented as provided with openings 4 in its ends. In the arrangement shown the front opening 1s closed by a plate 5 or other suitab e closure, the rear openi being utilized both for the char and t e dischargi of material whic is delivered by the true To permit and facilitate such charging and dischar ing, the tank may be provided w1th an a justable chute or spout of any desired or transit from the central-mix approved construction. Such device is not represented in'detail as it does not form a specific part of the present invention, but

is merely diagrammatically represented at 6.

end upon rollers 9, carried by an equalizing bar pivotally supported, at 25, on the chassis frame. The tank is preferably provided with tracks 11 with which engage the sup ported rollers 9 and 10.

Within the tank are mounted a number of blades 12, arranged to be set at angles such that, as the tank is revolved the contents thereof will be a 'tated and mixed. Each blade is supporte' upon a shaft 13 supported in a bear ng 24 secured to the tank, preferably' to the exterior thereof. Secured to each shaft 13, and outside the tank 3, is a crank arm 14, through which the shaft and the mixing blade that it carries may be turned to permit the blade to be set and secured at the desired angle.

The mixing blades are arran ed in several vsets or vseries, arranged in di erent transported and guided, they being representedas formed with slots 18 through which extend guidin pins 19 projecting radially from the ta It-will be seen, particularly by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, that the mixing blades may be axially ad usted by rotavstopw,

tive movementsv imparted to the rings 16. When the blades are all inclined in one direction their action will be not only to agitate the material within the tank, but to force it toward one end thereof, as, for ince, toward the front, as when the tank is being loaded; but when the blades are adjusted to another inclined position, as represented in dotted lines Fig. 3, the action of the blades will be to move the material toward the other end of the tank, for instance toward the rear, such action taking place when the tank is to be discharged of material.

If the blades are adjusted to an intermediate ition, as re resented in full lines Fig. 3, t e blades wil serve to agitate the material, but have no tendency to move it either toward one end or the other. Varione means may be employed to ad'ust the blades; for instance, as re resente in the drawings, the adjusting r1ngs16 may be provided with short gear racks 20 with which engage gear wheels 21 supported exteriorly upon the tank 3. The exposed end 22 of each shaft carrying a gear wheel ma be angularin shape to receive a detac able crank as 23 b which the wheel may be manually rotate and the rin with which the wheel engages ad 'uste shown in Fig. 1, eac wheel 21 is represented as being in engagement with two adjacent rings 16, so as thus to be able to simultaneously adjust two sets of the mixing blades.

The present invention may be operated as follows: Supposing that a batch of concrete such as a tank 3 will carry is desired at a particular job of work, truck 2 goes to the central mixi plant where the tank it carries is filled. Es soon as the filling operation begins the tank is set into rotation, the mixing blades 12 having first been adjusted to such angles as will cause the material delivered to thetank to be carried toward the front thereof and away from the filling opening at the rear. The tank being ttalleii, thte1 clgfiie 6 will ttil'nfidfl ition c ose e opem or 1 shouldnot be o f constru d ion to permit this, then a separate closure may be used for this purpose until the time for the discharge of the tank arrives. During transit .from the central mixing plant to the job the tank may be maintained in'rotation and thecontents dzhereof agi continuously. 0n the job the rotation of the tank is the mixing blades are adjusted so that when the drum is again revolved they so will move the material toward the rear, the

chute 6 is adjusted to discharge or delivery min, and'the mechanism that rotates the is started into operation. The result will be'thatthe drum will be quickly dis-L charged of its load, and the material by a chute reason of the agitation to which it has been subjected since being-loaded into the tank 3, will be found to be in suitable condition for immediate use.

It will be observed that the several sets of mixing blades are inde ndently adjustable, rmitting one set 0 blades to be adjuste to one angle and another to a diflerent or even opposite angle. This may be of advantage in certain machines and under certain conditions. For instance, the sets of blades toward one end of the machine may be adjusted to force the material toward the center of the machine, while those at the opposite end may be set also to force it to the center machine; or again the blades may all be ad'usted to deliver away from the center of t e machine. These capabilities of the machine come within the purview of the invention and may be carried out by the mechanism shown or mechanical equivalents thereof.

The arrangement of the mixing or agitating blades in sets that are circumferentiall of the tank has decided advantages, as as been herein pointed out. However, the blades might be a in sets disposed longitudinally of the tank, rather than circumferentially thereof, in which case there would be provided means for simultaneously adjusting the blades of a series or set to cha their working angles as might be requi and such an arrangement is contemplated as being within the present. invention.

It is to be understood that the t.plresent invention is not to be limited to e specific showing thereof in the drawings hereof. Such drawi are largely di ammatic in character. l d r instance, w e the invention is represented as applied to a transit mixer for which it is especially well ada ed, it will be understood that it may equally well a plied to a concrete mixing machine inten ed for the successive mixing of small batches of concrete at the 'ob where it is to be. used. Other means those illustrated for adjusting the angular positions of the mixing blades may be em loyed, and are contemplated as coming wi the sco of the present invention.

fihat is claimed is:

1. In a machine for mixing concrete and other substances, the combination of a rotatable tank for the material, blade inside the tank and revolving with it, arrangedin sets, and means by which the blades of a set may be simultaneously adjusted to a desired inchna' tion.

.Inamachineformixingconcreteand other substances, the combination of a retatable tank for the material, agita blades inside the tank and revolving wi it, arr in sets, the blades of the diflerent sets ing in difierent transverse planes Ill longitudinally of the tank, and means by which the blades of a set may be simultaneously adjusted to a desired inclination relative to the axis of revolution of the tank.

3. In a machine for mixing concrete and other substances the combination of a rotatable tank for the material, agitating blades inside the tank and rotatable with it, p the blades being arranged in sets which are in different transverse planes longitudinally of the cylinder, a ring for each set of blades located outside the cylinder and rotatable relative thereto to a limited extent, and connections between a ring and the blades of a set whereby a rotative movement of the ring will change the angular positions of the blades.

4. In a machine for mixing concrete and other substances, the combination of a rotatable tank for the material, agitating blades inside the tank and revolving with it,

' each blade being supported upon a radial.

shaft, bearings carried by the tank in which the shafts of the blades are mounted and rotatable, and means exterior to the tank for rotating the shafts and changing the angles of the blades within the tank.

5. In a machine for mixing concrete and other substances, the combina ion of a rotatable tank for the material, mixing blades inside the tank and revolving with it, each blade being supported upon a shaftthat is radial to the tank, bearings carried by the tank in which the shafts of the blades are mounted and rotatable, the shafts and bearings being arranged circumferentially of the tank whereby the blades are disposed in series in different planes. longitudinally of the tank, and rings supported exteriorly of the tank each arranged to rotate the shafts of a set and thus change the angular positions of the blades.

6. In a machine for mixing concrete and other substances the combination of a .rotatable tank for the material, mixing blades inside the tank and revolving with it, each blade being supported upon a shaft that is radial to the tank, bearings carried by the tank in which the shafts of the blades are mounted and rotatable, the shafts and bear: ings being arran ed circumferentially of the tank whereb t e blades are dis osed in series in di erent planes longitudinally of the tank, crank arms carried by the shafts at their outer ends, and rings su ported exteriorly to the tank each arrange to rotate relative thereto to a limited extent and connected with the crank arms of one set of blade shafts.

' 7. The combination stated in claim 6 including also means by which the rings may 7 be separately adjusted to change the angles of the agitating blades.

8. The combination of a motor truck, a tank supported thereby so aspto rotate about a fixed axis, the tank being provided with an opening through which it may be charged and discharged, a series of agitating blades within the tank and revolving therewith, and means exterior to the tank by which the angular disposition of the blades may be changed, whereby the blades may be set to force the material in the tank away from the opening while the material is agitated and toward the opening when the material is to be discharged from the tank.

9. In a machine for mixing concrete and other substances, the combination of a rotatable receptacle for the material to be treated, blades located inside the receptacle for agitating the material when the receptacle is rotated, means located exterior to the receptacle for adjusting the inclination of the blades relative to the axis of revolution of the receptacle whereby upon revolution of the receptacle the blades will cause agitation of the material and will alsotend to move it longitudinally in one direction or the other accordingly as they are adjusted.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES F. BALL. 

